I would like to reduce the voltage going into a heat gun to bring the wattage down in the coils. I figured the cheapest route would be to direct connect the heating element to a regular dimmer switch. Does this sound like a solid plan?
Dimmer switches may be used but are basically designed for fans and thus the maximum capacity may be lesser than the heat gun. You may replace the triac for a better wattage capacity. Also these switches doesnt fire the triac during the Zero crossing of an AC cycle and thus may create EMI. The said solution is not professional, but you may have a try as a hobbyist. Good luck.